Why more women are joining gun clubs to learn self-defense skills

In some of the nation’s most violent cities, far-Left Democratic mayors and city counsels continue to do all they can to make it more difficult for the vast majority of their law-abiding citizens to protect themselves with foolish gun control laws.

Despite their efforts, however — and thanks to recent federal and Supreme Court rulings upholding an individual’s right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment — more Americans are taking advantage of the Constitution to protect themselves.

This is especially true for women, who have figured out the best “equalizer” in a conflict with bigger, stronger men is a firearm.

As reported byAgence France Presse, women in always-violent Chicago are particularly interested in arming up and learning how to use a firearm to defend themselves, and they range from the young to the old, including Marietta Crowder, 71.

“My husband influenced me and we thought about it a long time,” she told AFP of her decision to pick up a gun and learn to use it at a suburban shooting range near Chicago. “Maybe you need a gun these days, in your house at least.”

She lives in a gated community with her retired bank executive husband, so she is better protected than most. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t at risk in a city known for its spiraling gun violence.

Another retiree, Javondlynn Dunagan, developed the notion of creating firearms training courses specifically designed for women, as well as her “Ladies of Steel” gun club. Following their initial training and successful mastering of basic skills, the ladies meet twice a month to practice.

Dunagan was a parole officer for 25 years but rarely had a firearm when she dealt with parolees and convicts. However, she decided to start carrying one after she got divorced from her ex-husband, who is a police officer.

“I was at home by myself with my daughter, and I was used to having a firearm in a home with my husband,” she told AFP. “So, I wanted to make sure that we were safe.”

However, after she started frequenting gun ranges around Chicago, AFP noted, “I noticed I never saw two women at the range together or a group of ladies,” she said, adding it really hit her that there were very few if any black women like herself who were even interested in learning how to use a gun. She said she she started asking her friends about it, they would say, ‘Yeah, I’m scared of guns.’

Those answers inspired her to start her own business — JMD Defense & Investigations, which in part offers gun training geared at women (the “investigations” portion of her business will launch next year).

She also offers classes like “Mommy & Me Self-Defense Class,” allowing women to bring their daughters, aged 8-18, where they learn hand-to-hand combat skills as well.